Believing
by Hyper V
Summary: He just had to believe in himself. Yes! That was it! Believe that he could do it, that he could bring his brother back and still make it out alive and unharmed. Well, he had succeeded, but not in the way he hoped. An attempt (and fail) at a brotherly fluff, angsty, AU ending fic that goes with the first series. Brotherly love!
1. I believe

**Ok, I came up with this randomly. I wanted to write Angst and have brotherly fluff in it and got this little thingy. I wrote it on my iPad, so if there are any spelling/grammar mistakes, THEY ARE NOT MINE! So with that, enjoy and please review. If you don't know what's going on, sucks for you. Naw! Just fooling! Ask and I'll PM you the answer. **

**Wrote this at 11:30 at night, not sure how good it is, but whatever. **

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The transmutation circle was perfectly put, drawn and then redrawn just to make sure. And everything had to be perfect, because one wrong move and the whole place could fall to pieces. His heart would fall to pieces.

_"Edward, he's gone," General Mustang had said just a few months previous, "he's not coming back, face it-"_

_"But I have to try!" he yelled in retort. "Four years without a body and he sacrifices himself just for me. Four years of searching for the stone . . . and all to have me come out the only one alive! I won't stand for that to be the final output!" _

_"Fullmetal, think about this. Alphonse wouldn't have sacrificed himself for you only to have you put your own life at risk for him. That wouldn't make him happy. Think of what Al would have wanted." _

_Silence. _

_"I'm doing this no matter what Mustang, and I'd like to see you try and stop me." _

_A hand raised to object, only to be cut off. _

_"And I'm leaving this here too." _

_The slap of metal on wood, the origin of the sound a watch. A badge. A tie to the military. _

_General Mustang had frowned in concern for his subordinate. __Death really can impact a persons life in more ways than one. Most of us know that. _

And so he left to set up for the day: the date when his little brother would finally have what he deserved all along. And he would be the one to make it happen. It took three years of preparations and not seeing anyone for that same amount of time, buying a house in West City, and not telling anyone where he was.

A resonating clap was heard in the dark of the cavern, and a thud as hands, both made of skin and bone, slapped onto the ground. Red lights sparked everywhere, illuminating the almost pitch black cavern. They danced, as if enraged with him. He was almost positive they were.

Darkness again, then light as a white space loomed over him. A gate in front of him, big and ominous. _The toll, what was the toll again?_

_"Are you really going to go through with this?" _

_"I have to. For him." _

_"But Edward, it's risky." _

_"You think I don't know that?!" Rage, fiery and hot, fueled by years of guilt. _

_Winry sighed. "Edward please, stop being irrational and listen to people for once. Even if you did find some way to bring him back, what would be the toll-" _

_"My life." _

_A gasp, barely audible. _

_"I will offer up my own life for his. That's Equivalent Exchange, right?" _

_The smile he gave off was forced and weak, making Winry frown in disapproval. But she knew whatever she said would never change his mind. He was a stubborn man who loved his family. She only wished he loved her like that too. _

Oh, yes, that was it. That was the tole: his own life. The real question was, would it work? God, if there really was one out there, please help him this one time. He needed it, because when facing the Gate you never knew when you would come back alive. And deciding between life and death for a departed loved one was the hardest decision of all.

Now he was ready. His mind wasn't all there, but he was ready to take on anything. Just please, please give him his brother back. That was all he asked for. Just a simple request he had begged for for years.

And he walked forward with confidence in his stride, fear in his heart. Fear of never coming back, of never actually attaining his goal. Of failing the most important family member he had. But he would make sure that never happened. He would make sure that his dreams and wishes and pleas came true, because he would make them all a reality and show everyone who believed his little brother dead, wrong.

His brother was in there somewhere, held hostage by his own regrets in need of help from someone. He would be the one to pull him out, he would be the one to save his brother from their past sins. And even if he didn't come out whole, that would be ok, because Al would be here and alive, and knowing that, it was all ok.

-0-

"So he came back alive?" General Mustang said in surprise, turning his head back to his Lieutenant who was holding the letter she had previously read to him.

"Yes, sir. Edward and Alphonse Elric have come back alive and well from what the note says and will be visiting as soon as time permits them. Right now they are currently residing in a town far West, living in a small village in a house just near the borders of the country." Lieutenant Hawkeye read off.

"I see. Very well then." The General turned back to his desk to resume his paperwork. "And how is Edward's physical condition?"

"It doesn't say, sir, he will let you know when he sees you."

"What about Alphonse?" Roy turned his one good eye back to the Lieutenant giving her a furtive glance.

"It doesn't say that either, sir. Be patient and wait for them to come to you like always. You have enough paperwork to finish here anyway."

With that said, he got back to work.

-0-

West City was a place he rarely visited. It wasn't that it was a bad place, more like all of the action was in East City or Central, sometimes even South, but rarely West and never North. North was where it always snowed, and that could be a problem for getting around. So now that he owned a house in West City, he was quite content to just stay there. For Al's sake.

"What a cute little baby, is he yours?" People asked this wherever he went, and the answer was always the same.

"No, this is my baby brother Alphonse." This was said with a forced smile that had been perfected over the years and could fool even the smartest of people. After this was stated, the usual questions were asked and compliments were given.

"May I hold him?"

"How old is he?"

"Such pretty hair and oh! His eyes are grey! So exotic!"

He had gotten used to these things, and now never payed these people much mind. It was ok though for them to say things like this, it only meant that his brother was real.

-0-

"Big Brother, where are you taking me?"

Childish laughter ensued as the boy was lifted up onto the hip of his elder sibling.

"I'm taking you to meet some very important people, so be on your best behavior. I'm counting on you, this is for Big Brother's sake, ok? Can you do this for me?"

A nod of the younger's head. "Of course I can. Anything for Big Brother."

Another smile from the elder, only half forced. And then they reached the door to the room they were looking for.

-0-

Laughter was heard from outside the door, childish and playful. It wasn't like there to be a child at Headquarters. Sure, most Military Personnel's had children, but why bring them to work? It was pointless and would only disrupt people.

Mustang sighed. Even if he didn't want to admit it, the Elric brothers had always been like family to him. He looked out for them, took care of them, reprimanded them. They were like the children he never wished he had. But he doubted they would ever see him as a fatherly figure.

Speaking of the Elric brothers, Edward had written them saying that he and Alphonse would be dropping by that day. His whole office had been chaotic. Everyone was excited to see them both again.

The door swung open lightly, making everyone in the office turn their heads to see a man dressed casually in jeans and a T-shirt, his long blond hair in a pony tail, currently being tugged on by a child. Said child was small, looking to be five or maybe younger and the man probably in his mid-twenties.

"Stop pulling on my hair you little bug," the man said, although he laughed when he did. But now he turned and whispered to the child, who instantly stopped pulling on his hair and the man pulled away. "Better."

"Excuse me sir, but may I help you?" asked Mustang, ever so polite.

"Mustang, you haven't changed a bit in all this time," the man replied, smirking as the child huddled closer to him, trying to hide himself in the man's chest.

"Do I know you?" Mustang asked, but he had a feeling the voice sounded familiar. Surely it couldn't be-

"Please Colonel, you seriously don't recognize me?" And a signature smirk was set upon his lips.

After that the office was in an uproar. He was back, the Fullmetal Alchemist was back! And he . . . had a child with him? That was unusual.

Hawkeye was the first to speak as she walked up and, to her amazement, looked _up_ at Edward. He was, of course, only a few inches taller than her, but it was a difference from almost 8 years ago. "Nice to see you again Edward. And who us this little guy? Is he yours?"

Edward only smiled, surprising the group at the gentle touch to it as he turned around to address the child in his arms. "Can you say hi and introduce yourself? Be polite, remember?"

The child looked up, a light blush on his face and he stuttered to answer. "I am . . . Alphonse Elric. Big Brother calls me Al. I am . . ." Here he paused to count on his fingers. ". . . Almost this many!" And he held up his hand, all of his fingers spread wide to show his age.

The room stared, making the child - no, Alphonse - uncomfortable, and burry himself back into Edward's chest. Edward looked back up, seeing the shocked faces of the group and smiled again, explaining to Al to wait outside the door while he talked to the 'Important People.' And Alphonse did just that with a hug to his brother and a scamper out of the room to sit near the door.

Before anyone could ask, Edward explained, and they all bowed their heads in silence. Apparently the Gate didn't like that Edward came back for his brother, and even after he gave up so much already, Ed couldn't have him back. So Edward made a deal. To have Alphonse back; without memory of anything that had happened in his life. In return, he got Al back as an infant, newborn and in need of help. It was the price they had to both suffer. Edward mentally, Al spiritually.

But everyone believed that somewhere inside that five year old boy, Alphonse was still alive, begging for help from anyone who could hear.

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**Ok! I done here! I'll probably edit it later, but not now because I need to plug back in my clock and reset my alarm and then go to bed. HAPPY SLEEPING! **

**Please review! I beg of you! Please! **


	2. He's still here

**Hello there again! So, I decided to make another little chapter because, well, I loved writing the first one! I didn't intend for this to happen, it just did, so I hope you enjoy it! **

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Humming ensued from the hallway where a little boy sat, happily paying with a loose string on his shirt. He didn't know why he was there, sitting patiently and waiting for his Big Brother to come back out of the wood doors where the scary people in uniforms sat and talked. Who were those people? What did they want with Big Brother? How did Big Brother know these people? He sure hadn't seen them at all in his life. Maybe Brother knew them before he was born. And why had Brother wanted him to meet these people?

But he wasn't old enough yet to know the answers to these complicated questions he was asking himself. He wasn't old enough to know what had really happened, therefore suspicion of his Big Brother never arose in his head.

The big looming doors creaked open, showing his brother. He scrabbled to his feet and smiled widely him, raising his arms high as if to ask to be picked up. His brother just smiled in that warm comforting way that he always liked about Big Brother and picked him up, hugging the boy close to his chest and sighing deeply. This was a sign that Brother was sad in a sort of way. He never knew why, but if Brother for any sort of reason hugged him, it was because he was sad, maybe a little unhappy with the world or himself. He never questioned it, for he grew to learn that Brother never hugged people, choosing to keep to himself more often than not.

"Is Big Brother sad?"

This was the question that was always asked when Brother did this sort of thing. Brother, of course, never answered. But that was ok, he didn't need to.

-0-

Mustang watched quietly as Edward picked up his little brother, hugging him to his chest and rocking him a little. After a moment's pause, Edward turned and walked back in, Alphonse still pressed flush against his chest.

"Maybe you could try reconsidering my offer."

"The answer's no."

Alphonse looked up, a startled expression on his face as he looked back and forth between the General and his brother. Mustang took the time to get a good look at his face. It was chubby with baby fat, his eyes wide and expressive, his hair a floppy mess of dark honey gold locks. Mustang never actually knew what Alphonse looked like, being in a suite of armor and all. So it was no wonder no one even knew Al when he entered the room.

Roy jerked out of his thoughts as Alphonse was shifted to sit on Edward's knees and face the General and the office. They were sitting in a wooden upholstered chair. It was one of the nicer ones in the office intended for guests only, but on occasions Roy caught some of his subordinates sitting in it too, just out of curiosity of what it felt like.

Al had begun to listen from the look of concentration on his face, and now the whole room was watching as the conversation progressed.

Roy cleared his throat. "I'm just saying that maybe a job could-"

"I already have a job." There was an edge to Edward's voice, telling Roy to just _shut the hell up if he knew what was good for him_.

And he backed down, looking toward the little boy in the former State Alchemist's lap. He scowled and looked back up at Edward, who stared him down. Alphonse was shaking with anticipation now, looking on more with rapt attention. Edward seemed to notice, for he wiped his face clean of emotion and painted on it in place a sweet and calming smile, one that Edward rarely used, and this frightened Roy.

"Lieutenant Hawkeye," Edward said, calling out Riza's official title, "would you mind keeping Al company while I talk to General Mustang for a moment."

There was hesitation in her eyes, like she was afraid to follow up on his request, but she soon complied with a curt nod of her head as she swiftly walked over to stand in front of Alphonse. He cringed visibly, probably not used to the smile that wasn't often shown on the Lieutenant's face. Having someone go from scary to happy in a matter of seconds was frightening, Roy would know.

"Hi, sweetie," she said, her voice a sickly sweet, making the crew wince at it, "my name is Riza Hawkeye. And your Alphonse, are you not?"

Edward just looked on, probably used to this by now. But Roy stared on along with the rest of the residents of his office in silence, waiting for Al's reaction. He seemed to still be shy, and clamored up Edward's knees to get to his lap and wrap himself around Edward's torso, refusing to let go. This could be a problem if Mustang needed to talk to Edward privately, but what were they to do? This wasn't the Al they knew, they couldn't treat him as so. Couldn't bark orders for him to _stand outside and wait, dammit!_ He was a child, barely exposed to the outside world, and this needed to be tended to with love and care.

-0-

The scary lady came and tried to take him away. She was using a false grin almost anyone used around him, and he didn't like it. Big Brother would protect him from this lady's glare. Big Brother could do anything, he was strong and caring. So he buried himself inside Big Brother's tough stomach and clutched on with all of his might. He would be safe here.

But someone was picking him up. Someone was tearing him away from his brother. Someone was trying to _separate_ them.

Ever since he was little, Al had a sense to stay by his brother's side no matter what. It was instinct he supposed. He didn't have a mother or father, Brother had said they died right after he was born - never said why though. There weren't many pictures of Big Brother's past, Brother had said they burned in a fire. Big Brother didn't have many friend, he said they weren't needed as long as Alphonse was around. So Al had stayed by his side, was his comfort, his stronghold, because he and Brother couldn't rely on anyone but themselves. Couldn't trust anyone but themselves. It was common fact now.

So, instead of struggling and hurting someone, he did the next best thing. He cried.

"Big Brother!"

And he cried some more. Now Alphonse wasn't a big fan of crying. His Brother never cried, why should he? But his Big Brother _needed_ him now. He could see and hear the distress residing within him. That wasn't a good thing.

-0-

Alphonse hadn't clung to him like this in ages, since he read that old fairy tail about the princess and the criminal who fell in love, but the criminal was later executed for his crimes. Alphonse had cried, saying that they had to be together, otherwise it wasn't a happy ending. He had explained that, sometimes, people didn't get happy endings, because the higher people in power always got their way, and no one could do anything about it.

Alphonse had cried himself to sleep that night, and Edward was left to remember the night he died twice and was revived twice. Of the night that his brother didn't come back the way he was supposed to, instead coming back as a little helpless baby. But whether Alphonse came back like he did or was 10, or even 14, Edward wouldn't care, because he was the same loving Alphonse, and this was a chance to purge him of the sins of the past.

"Big Brother!"

Edward looked up, shaken from his thoughts, to realize that the lieutenant was picking Alphonse up, taking him into her arms. And Edward was startled to find him crying, crying for him, for help. It was that same plea that was issued on that night. But Edward could do nothing but sit and watch, because even though Al was crying, Edward needed to talk to Mustang.

_But this is your_ brother, a little part of his brain told him, _talk to him, console him,_ he's all you have left, dammit! And this little part of his brain was the only part needed to quickly move into action and talk.

"Alphonse," he said, surprised by how calm his voice sounded. It made Al look up at him, tear stained cheeks red. "Al, you need to calm down, I just need to talk for a little while, this is important. The Lieutenant will take good care of you. I'll see you in a while, ok? I won't be long."

Alphonse nodded and wiped away his tears, silently agreeing like he always did that he would do as his brother said, because Brother knew what he was doing. He always did.

-0-

The scary lady took him out into the hallway, where she set him down and reached out for him to take her hand. Alphonse complied and silently took it with some hesitation, letting her lead the way down the corridor to someplace that he didn't know of.

They were headed to the dining hall, Alphonse noted as they came up to a sign pointing out the way to go. The scary lady looked back at him with a smile and he smiled back as she led him in and sat him down, promising to be right back with something to eat.

She didn't seem all that scary, just the way about her was kind of frightening to Alphonse. And by the looks of the people in that room, they thought so too. Suddenly, he was reminded of the plush chair and lingering eyes and his mind went back to his brother, wondering what it was that he wanted to talk to the patch man about. That man was kind of creepy too, with his long black hair and eye patch that covered the whole half of his face. His smile was lopsided and demented, not like the smile of the people he met before.

Hours seemed to pass as he and Miss. Riza sat and ate the snack she had served him. It consisted of bread and jam and a slice of cake. The jam was strawberry and the cake was chocolate with vanilla frosting, nothing like he had ever had in his life, it tasted so good. And before he knew it, Big Brother came to get him.

He was standing in the doorway when Alphonse noticed him, and he was shouting to patch man about something before he was given a glare and yelled back at. He had never seen his brother more angry before. Maybe this was just another thing he didn't know about his brother. Big Brother then bowed politely to the man and turned around, looking over the sea of people as if trying to find something. Al took that as a sign that they would be leaving, and heading off to their hotel room for rest.

Alphonse got off of the chair he was on with a grunt and thanked Miss. Riza for buying him the cake before bowing and heading off toward his brother, who had spotted him and smiled, opening his arms for Al to run into. And even though this trip hadn't gone as Alphonse thought it would go, it was still a small achievement in the adventure of finding out more about Big Brother.

-0-

Mustang watched them silently leave, Edward again carrying Alphonse and Alphonse talked idly about something or another, Ed smiling the whole way. It was good to see Edward happy again, even just a little bit, for Al was back and healthy, and even though he wasn't _him_, he was still the same Alphonse who loved and enjoyed the same things. This break from stress could be good for Edward for once. He needed it.

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**ATTENTION! ATTENTION! If you have a request you would like to make for another chapter, TELL ME! I will gladly make that request come true! I'll even take pairings, nothing humorous, this is meant to be a drama type fic/angst fic.**


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